Spas are a must have, but hoteliers remain uncertain

Spas are a must have for full-service hotels, according the 81.3% of respondents to latest survey by TRI Hospitality Consulting

The quartley survey found that nine out of 10 industry professionals (93.8%) believed consumers were now seeking a spa experience as an alternative to other leisure breaks.

But despite this, the TRI found many hoteliers feared spas may be a fad and questioned the wisdom of investing so much without a strong, long-term business case.

TRI's managing director Jonathan Langston said: "The importance of offering quality spa facilities is now widely acknowledged by hotels. But there remains a degree of uncertainty about the longevity of the trend."

Spa facilities are expected to be an increasingly important feature for the conference and groups sectors in the UK, according to more than half of those surveyed (62.6%).

However, two-thirds (64.3%) still ranked conference and banqueting ahead of spas when it came to investment priorities.

London has the most spas of any area in the UK with 117, and the biggest hotel spa brand is Hilton's LivingWell.

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